The Dallas Cowboys Lose 34-3, But Didn't Choke

Well, you can’t win them all. As a person and fan, I’ve have to learn to accept that. Sometimes you don’t win the big games.

This game, as depressing as it is, comes down to who played the better game that day and that was Minnesota. This loss was painful, but Dallas wasn’t horrible, Minnesota was just good.

I’d like to drift off for a second. Before I realized that sportswriting was my calling, I wanted to be a lawyer like in Law & Order. One of the most famous legal quotes was by Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart when it came to the definition of obscenity:

"I cannot define it, but I know it when I see it."

Well, it's the same thing with Dallas. The final score of 34-3 is one that many people who didn’t watch the game would say, "Aw, they got killed! They suck! They are such pathetic chokers!"

Well, they don’t know anything. The reality is that Dallas played a hard game, but Minnesota was just better. There wasn’t a choking moment, the Vikings just controlled the game. There was a lot of bad luck for the Cowboys.

I cannot define the difference between choking and being outplayed, but I know it when I see it, and Dallas did not choke. I can’t upload film to my computer and send ESP to you to point out where this went wrong or how this was just Minnesota playing great ball, but I can hope that you trust my instincts and believe that Dallas is still a great team.

Believe it or not, there is a lot of luck in this game, and Dallas just had some bad luck today.

What Dallas needs to do is to reevaluate themselves. Look at what needs to change on offense or on defense. They need to constantly train throughout the offseason. Preparation is half the game. Some of the best teams have had only good athletes, but they were disciplined and ready for the postseason.

Dallas was ready. I have no doubt they were ready, but they were probably inexperienced. This team now has more experience, and they will make an effort next year to go even further into the playoffs, maybe get that chance at a Super Bowl, possibly get that sixth Super Bowl ring.

This was just not Dallas’ time. I truly believe that Minnesota was a team that no one could have beaten today. This team had everything going its way, and you can’t always prevent that.

Despite this loss, I am still a Cowboys fan. I love this team. I love these guys, and I’m proud of them. They seem like a team that is seriously a contender for a Super Bowl for years to come.

I remember in the 1970s, one of the finest teams that were playing were the Oakland Raiders, coached by Hall of Fame coach and legendary announcer John Madden, but were a team that was eliminated often in the postseason.

From 1969 to 1978, John Madden won 103 regular season games with the Raiders and won nine playoff games.

Before 1976 however, Madden was known as the coach who couldn’t win the big one, and his team was known as one who couldn’t finish it all in the playoffs.

To paraphrase him from the 1976 America’s Game, "People say that Madden can’t win the big one. Well, before the game, tell me when there’s a little one?"

They had won big games, they had won playoff games, they hadn’t won a championship, but Madden was never discouraged because if you constantly work at it and keep trying, then you will win a Super Bowl. John Madden was very calm and very confident in his guys for the upcoming season.

He finally assembled a team that went 13-1 and won the Super Bowl, 32-14. It did happen for him because he realized that sometimes great teams take a while to get it all done.

Dallas has won big games, they’ve won a playoff game, they won in December and January, but haven’t won a Super Bowl yet, but they are on the right track and I believe that it will happen one day for these guys.

Even if they don’t do it next year, I’ll still be watching these guys, and I’ll still believe in them.